Mountain Towns & Outdoor Recreation: Challenges & Solutions

For anyone who lives in or visits mountain towns, this Blister Podcast conversation contains some of the best ideas and proposals we’ve ever heard for helping both mountain towns and outdoor recreation survive and thrive. — Paul Forward, Dara McDonald, Jonathan Houck, Pete Wagner, & Jason Blevins at Blister Summit 2023 (Mt. Crested Butte, CO)

As someone who has read a lot and talked a lot about the state of mountain towns and outdoor recreation, I can say that in this conversation some of the best ideas and proposals I’ve ever heard are put forward for helping both survive and thrive. o

Colorado Sun reporter, Jason Blevins lead this discussion, and joining him are Dara McDonald, (Crested Butte Town Manager), Jonathan Houck (Gunnison County Commissioner), Pete Wagner (Wagner Custom Skis & resident of Telluride, CO), and Paul Forward (Blister reviewer & resident of Girdwood, AK).

The group discusses how small towns can serve as test zones for new & innovative policies; the impacts of an outdoor-recreation-based economy; the ongoing challenge of affordable housing; ideas for new methods of funding, and more.

This is an important one, and you can also watch the video of this conversation over on our Blister YouTube channel.

TOPICS & TIMES:
Intros (3:39)
What Others Can Learn from Small Mtn Towns? (4:50)
Recreation & Its Impacts (13:38)
Affordable Housing (34:57)
Engaging Younger Generations (46:00)
Innovative Funding Mechanisms? (51:40)